The Comal ISD board of trustees unanimously voted to move forward with a bond election during their Aug. 4 meeting.

What you need to know: The $567 million bond, made up of two propositions, will be weighed by district voters in November. Proposition A, which costs $539.95 million, will fund facilities, land and buses, and Proposition B, which costs $27.04 million, will fund classroom technology. Both propositions can be financed through the district's current tax rate of $0.35 per $100 of taxable value, according to a district news release.

The bond amount was determined after a year of discussion by Comal Forward, a 61-member planning committee composed of parents, community members, staff and students.

What happens next? The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5. Early voting will be held Oct. 19-30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Elizabeth Dixon was living in Seattle when a psychic told her she would move to Texas and start a business. Not long after, Dixon took a leap of faith and moved south.

In 2019, Dixon opened her metaphysical shop, called The Empress by Altar Space at 451 S. Castell Ave., in New Braunfels.

Meet the owner: Dixon said she always felt a connection with metaphysical practices, like when she was young and played with crystal beads. 

“What really drew me to the metaphysical was working with my intentions and just setting my mind to something and watching it manifest,” Dixon said. 

As Dixon's passion for metaphysical practices continued to grow, she decided to pursue it full-time.

A closer look: The Empress by Altar Space sells crystals, herbs, incense, candles and more. The shop also offers tarot card readings. Dixon said her shop offers not only tools for energy healing but also community.

“You can cry with us, you can laugh, you can share what's going on in your dreams,” Dixon said. “Nothing's really off limits.” 

Texan Tea has opened its second New Braunfels location.

Check it out: The family-owned iced-tea drive-thru opened its second New Braunfels location at 2286 Alyssa Way, Ste. 101 on Sept. 6. Texan Tea sells sweet and unsweet iced tea in various flavors along with flavored water and lemonade.

• 2286 Alyssa Way, Ste. 101, New Braunfels

Across Texas, the taxes that homeowners pay to their local school districts went down by about 13.6% in 2025, one state senator found.

The overview: Across the board, many Texas counties mailed out reduced property tax bills for the 2025 tax year, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, reported. During a Sept. 1 hearing of the Senate Local Government Committee, he said the average homeowner's property tax bill went down by about $140 last year, falling from $1,037 per year in 2024 to $896 per year in 2025.

Texas' 2026-27 budget includes $51 billion in property tax relief, previous Community Impact reporting shows. Unless the legislature rolls back existing tax exemptions, the state will be required to spend that much or more on tax relief in future bienniums.

How it works: The state does not charge property taxes, meaning homeowners are taxed by local entities such as school districts, cities, counties and municipal utility districts. The Texas Legislature, however, can place limits on how much local governments raise taxes annually and require tax exemptions for certain groups.